Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago has agreed to testify before Congress regarding the city's sanctuary city policies, according to a CBS News report. The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-KY), has called upon Johnson and the mayors of Boston, Denver, and New York to appear before them to discuss the impact of these policies on public safety and federal immigration law enforcement efforts.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Johnson faced a degree of hesitation initially, but his office has now confirmed his upcoming appearance at the March 5 hearing, stating "We thank Committee members for the upcoming conversation on this important issue, and for the opportunity for Mayor Johnson to represent Chicago alongside Mayors from Boston, Denver, and New York." Comer, in his invitation, cited an investigation into how the local policies clash with the strict immigration enforcement promised by the Trump administration and the alleged danger this poses to the American people and federal immigration officers.
In his defense of Chicago's sanctuary policies, Mayor Johnson has called these local ordinances and the Illinois TRUST Act the "law of the land," which grant protections to undocumented immigrants living in the city. As reported by CBS News, Johnson emphasized Chicago's identity as a "welcoming city," saying "Regardless of who's in the White House, Chicago is a city that opens its arms to people from around the globe." These policies prevent local law enforcement from unduly cooperating with federal immigration authorities in ways that could lead to the detriment of community trust and the civil rights of immigrants.
While Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has also expressed intentions to comply with the committee's requests, Mayor Johnson has critiqued the nature of Chairman Comer's request, though he has confirmed that Chicago would not be obstructionist in the process, his office still hasn't clarified if they'll provide all the documents requested by the committee, as mentioned in both sources, the mayor's chief attorney, Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry, has stated "we'll be discussing with them specifically issues around what it is that they have requested of us" suggesting a willingness to engage in dialogue over the contentious issue.
This agreement to testify before Congress comes amidst a backdrop where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) struggles with space limitations due to a surge in arrests under President Trump's administration, which has seen ICE detention facilities at 109% capacity, as CBS News disclosed. This illustrates a federal system strained at the seams and a local-federal tension with broad implications for cities that choose to enact sanctuary policies protecting their undocumented residents.
